Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-TSR-LVG-SOC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 4 to 6 %

Optimal Range: 4 to 6

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: OptimalRange

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is CompositeFramework, but the benchmark data may be missing required fields (e.g., optimal range bounds for an OptimalRange benchmark). This is typically a data quality issue in the benchmark pipeline.

Contributing Benchmarks

CompositeFramework Primary MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard CompositeFramework Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard CompositeFramework Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) 4.0 - 6.0 % is identified as the benchmark value representing the best available condition in well-managed pastures in the Australian Tropical and Subtropical Rainforests biome.

Metric Definition:

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) concentration in the 0-10 cm soil layer under best-practice livestock grazing management.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the concentration of Soil Organic Carbon in the top 10 cm of soil that indicates a high level of environmental health achievable under best-practice livestock grazing in Australia's Tropical and Subtropical Rainforests biome.

Justification:

Derived from scientific literature and government reports focusing on well-managed pasture systems in the Australian wet tropics.

Sources (1)

Preview of Water and Nitrogen Balance in Natural and Agricultural Systems in the Wet Tropics of North Queensland: A Review - Australian Banana Growers' Council, accessed July 18, 2025,

Water and Nitrogen Balance in Natural and Agricultural Systems in the Wet Tropics of North Queensland: A Review - Australian Banana Growers' Council, accessed July 18, 2025,

Water and nitrogen balance in natural and agricultural systems in the NQ Wet Tropics

Supporting Sources (30)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of A review of sampling designs for the measurement of soil organic carbon in Australian grazing lands - Integrity Systems, accessed July 27, 2025,

A review of sampling designs for the measurement of soil organic carbon in Australian grazing lands - Integrity Systems, accessed July 27, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Total nitrogen levels as a key constraint on soil organic carbon ...

Preview of Allen, D. E., Pringle, M. J., Bray, S. G., Hall, T. J., & Dalal, R. C. (2013). What determines soil organic carbon stocks in the grazing lands of north-eastern Australia? Soil Research, 51(8), 695-706.

Allen, D. E., Pringle, M. J., Bray, S. G., Hall, T. J., & Dalal, R. C. (2013). What determines soil organic carbon stocks in the grazing lands of north-eastern Australia? Soil Research, 51(8), 695-706.

Contextual Support Journal

Allen, D. E., Pringle, M. J., Bray, S. G., Hall, T. J., & Dalal, R. C. (2013). What determines soil organic carbon stocks in the grazing lands of north-eastern Australia? Soil Research, 51(8), 695-706.

Preview of Colodan Soil Report

Colodan Soil Report

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Organic Matter

Preview of Common soil types | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government, accessed August 9, 2025

Common soil types | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government, accessed August 9, 2025

Contextual Support Government

Sodic & Alkaline Soil - Soil Quality Knowledge Base

Preview of Effects of grazing on grassland soil carbon: A global review - ResearchGate

Effects of grazing on grassland soil carbon: A global review - ResearchGate

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Carbon Sequestration under Pasture in Southern Australia - SAI Platform

$Preview of Estimating the attainable soil organic carbon deficit in the soil fine fraction to inform feasible storage targets and de-risk carbon farming decisions - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Soil Research$

Estimating the attainable soil organic carbon deficit in the soil fine fraction to inform feasible storage targets and de-risk carbon farming decisions - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Soil Research

Contextual Support Government

Estimating the attainable soil organic carbon deficit in the soil fine fraction to inform feasible storage targets and de-risk carbon farming decisions - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Soil Research

Preview of Flux research infrastructure helps industry monitor agricultural soil carbon sequestration

Flux research infrastructure helps industry monitor agricultural soil carbon sequestration

Methodology Source Government

New methods for measuring and validating soil carbon sequestration - TERN Australia

Preview of Full article: Making soil carbon credits work for climate change mitigation

Full article: Making soil carbon credits work for climate change mitigation

Contextual Support

Full article: Making soil carbon credits work for climate change mitigation

Preview of Full article: Making soil carbon credits work for climate change mitigation, accessed July 6, 2025,

Full article: Making soil carbon credits work for climate change mitigation, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support

Soil Organic Carbon Benchmarks - Department for Environment and Water

Preview of INTRODUCTION TO CARBON FARMING - Queensland Farmers' Federation

INTRODUCTION TO CARBON FARMING - Queensland Farmers' Federation

Contextual Support Journal

INTRODUCTION TO CARBON FARMING - Queensland Farmers' Federation

Preview of Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management

Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management

Contextual Support Journal

Development of a new piosphere in arid chenopod shrubland grazed by sheep. I. Changes to the soil surface. - ResearchGate

Preview of Living soils in agriculture | TERN Australia, accessed July 25, 2025,

Living soils in agriculture | TERN Australia, accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Living soils in agriculture | TERN Australia, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of Monitoring groundcover and soil degradation | Erosion | Soil | Farm ..., accessed May 11, 2025

Monitoring groundcover and soil degradation | Erosion | Soil | Farm ..., accessed May 11, 2025

Contextual Support Government

Monitoring groundcover and soil degradation | Erosion - Agriculture Victoria

Preview of Potential for soil carbon sequestration in Northern Australian grazing lands: A review of the evidence, accessed July 30, 2025,

Potential for soil carbon sequestration in Northern Australian grazing lands: A review of the evidence, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Keeping carbon – ensuring soil carbon gains through improved grazing management persist through drought in Australia's tropical and semi-arid grasslands - QUT

Preview of Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Soil carbon monitoring and trends - Department for Environment and Water, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil carbon monitoring and trends - Department for Environment and Water, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Soil carbon monitoring and trends - Department for Environment and Water

Preview of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Northern Grazing Lands - FutureBeef, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil Carbon Sequestration in Northern Grazing Lands - FutureBeef, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Carbon Sequestration in Northern Grazing Lands - FutureBeef

Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Managing cattle grazing intensity: effects on soil organic matter and soil nitrogen, accessed July 23, 2025

Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed July 23, 2025

Preview of Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA

Preview of Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The benefits of soil carbon farming for Australian producers - CarbonLink

Preview of Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Coexistence of shrubs and grass in a semi-arid landscape: a case study of mulga (Acacia aneura, Mimosaceae) shrublands embedded in fire-prone spinifex (Triodia pungens, Poaceae) hummock grasslands - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Journal of Botany

Preview of Soil organic matter and carbon sequestration in pastures - FutureBeef, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil organic matter and carbon sequestration in pastures - FutureBeef, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Sparling, G. P. (1992). Ratio of microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon as a sensitive indicator of changes in soil organic matter. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 30(2), 195-207.

Preview of Soil organic matter formation, persistence, and functioning: A synthesis of current understanding to inform its conservation and

Soil organic matter formation, persistence, and functioning: A synthesis of current understanding to inform its conservation and

Contextual Support Journal

Plant Nutrition under Climate Change and Soil Carbon Sequestration - MDPI

Preview of Soils ain't soils - carbon farming offers fertile future - CSIRO, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soils ain't soils - carbon farming offers fertile future - CSIRO, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The Abundance of Microbial Functional Genes in Grassy Woodlands ..., accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of The value of soil organic matter and how we can slow its decline under cropping systems: Data from 500 paired-site comparisons - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), accessed August 5, 2025,

The value of soil organic matter and how we can slow its decline under cropping systems: Data from 500 paired-site comparisons - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The value of soil organic matter and how we can slow its decline under cropping systems: Data from 500 paired-site comparisons - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), accessed August 5, 2025

Preview of TROPICAL SOILS | Terrain NRM, accessed July 16, 2025,

TROPICAL SOILS | Terrain NRM, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

A Revegetation Guide for Sub-Tropical Forest - Greening Australia, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Understanding soil tests for pastures | Soil | Farm management ..., accessed May 12, 2025

Understanding soil tests for pastures | Soil | Farm management ..., accessed May 12, 2025

Contextual Support Government

Agriculture Victoria. (2025). Understanding soil tests for pastures. Farm Management.

Preview of What are the optimum nutrient targets for pastures? - Soil Health Knowledgebase

What are the optimum nutrient targets for pastures? - Soil Health Knowledgebase

Direct Evidence Journal

Soil Health Knowledgebase

Preview of What determines soil organic carbon stocks in the grazing lands of north-eastern Australia?

What determines soil organic carbon stocks in the grazing lands of north-eastern Australia?

Contextual Support Journal

MACKAY WHITSUNDAY REGION SUSTAINABLE GRAZING GUIDE - WetlandInfo

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 6 Jun 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 2.5 %. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. Lower SOC levels below 2.5-3.0% indicate declining soil health; levels below 1.5% suggest significant degradation. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSR-LVG-SOC family.